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To those that use the term “All Lives Matter”

By:unknown error / 21 July 2016

To those that use the term “All Lives Matter”

If all lives mattered…
Black lives wouldn’t be so devalued; Black lives wouldn’t be so in danger.
If all lives mattered, we’d already know that Black lives matter.
If all lives mattered, we wouldn’t live in a “democratic” society where people are fuelled by the prospect of danger and of fear.
If All Lives Mattered, we wouldn’t live in a society where my life is automatically devalued based on the colour of my skin.
If All Lives Mattered, I wouldn’t have to hug my little brothers close and tell them to be safe every time they go to a shop or a friends house, I wouldn’t have to worry when my older brother is late home, Because all know that the world outside of our front door is against them just because they just so happen to inhabit a Black Life.

Yes. All Lives (should) Matter – but clearly, they don’t.

Source: Daniel leal-olivas / afp/getty images
Taken from a BLM protest in Brixton, South London

The hashtag #AllLivesMatter is in response to #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, I suppose some people use it with good intentions and others use it knowing the degrading implications it has towards the BlackLivesMatter Movement.

Black Lives Matter is a socio-political movement that acknowledges the social, economical and intellectual inequality that black people are subject to, as well as praising and highlighting the many strengths we have within the Black community.

Black Lives Matter is not anti-white nor does it stand for Black Supremacy. Black Lives Matter craves equality of justice.

So, when I do #BlackLivesMatter or #BlackGirlMagic or #BlackExcellence, it’s not me being a Black Supremacist and it’s not me forgetting about all the other global struggles we’re faced with, as someone who identifies as multi-ethnic as well as Black, I am definitely not forgetting about the racial persecution that people who do not identify as Black face.

When I hashtag these things, it is me publically and proudly embracing and celebrating who I am and the journey It took for my ancestors to bring me here to be who, what and where I am today. It is me choosing to reject the Eurocentric beauty standards that are projected all over the Internet and never second guessing my intellectual capability.

So yes.
All Lives do Matter.
However, hashtagging #AllLivesMatter and it does not address the issue at hand.
If All Lives (really) Matter why are we constantly protesting for equality? Why are we protesting – pleading with our law enforcers not to kill our fathers, cousins, brothers, uncles and our friends all because their skin is black.

So when we do say that Black Lives Matter, it is us all saying that we are people.
We deserve equality and respect and to be seen as this in the eyes of the law.
Black Lives Matter is us acknowledging that clearly, everyone else’s lives already matter – it’s asking you to see that our lives matter, too.

If All Lives really did Matter, you’d see that Black Lives Matter and stop denying the socio-political and judicial struggle that we are subject to.

So, to those who believe that All Lives Matter: Please do not feel alienated or uncomfortable, address the issue at hand.

Stand with us- your friends, your family, neighbours and loved ones.

Because All Lives can’t matter until we can all understand that Black Lives matter too.